Brake head and hanger connection.



C. H. WILLIAMS.

BRAKE HEAD AND HANGER CONNECTION APPLICATION FILED AUG.9 1915.

1,1 89,327. Patented July 4,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I- C. H. WILLIAMS.

BRAKE HEAD AND HANGER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9. I9I5- 1,189,327. PatentedJuly l, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- C. H. WILLIAMS.

BRAKE HEAD AND HANGER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9. I915- 1 1 89,327. Patented July 4, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- C. H. WILLIAMS. BRAKE HEAD AND HANGER CONNECTION. APPLICATION men AUG-9.1915.

Patented July 4, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HAIN ES WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BRAKE HEAD AND HANGER CONNECTION.

Application filed August 9, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HAINEs WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Chicago, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake Head and Hanger Connection, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as. will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates generally to railway rolling stock, and specifically to certain improvements inthe means for supporting the brake beams of the trucks in proper operative position. 1

As is well known in the art, it is the accepted practice to suspend the brake beams and parts carried thereby from the truck frame by meansof hangers which engage the brake heads and permit, thenecessary swinging movements of the brakebeams incident to the application and release of the brakes. To facilitate replacement and repair of parts, it. is desirable that the brake head and hanger be removably connected,

and in present practice this is customarily accomplished by providing one or more open sided transverse channels or apertures into which the brake hanger may be fitted, and within which it is retained by the brake shoe and the key which is customarily employled to secure the brake shoe to the brake hea Y In brake head constructions ofthis charac ter it often occurs, however, that the brake shoe becomes broken, which frequently re sults in the loosening offthe key sothat'it will work out of the key slots and be lost. Moreover, it frequently occurs that the keys are stolen, or inadvertently left outjwhen shoes are changed. Consequent upon this,"

when the shoe is shaken ofi, there being nothing to retain it, the brake head may be shaken loose from the hanger with the result that the end of thebrake beam will fall. This of course is dangerous in that it may result in derailment of the truck. It is this contingency which is the purpose of my Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Serial No. 44,466. V 7

present invention to provide means to prevent.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for the purpose of illustration a number of forms of my invention which will accomplish this object.

In said drawings, Figure 1 represents a slde elevation of a brake head with its connected parts and including one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross section through the hanger substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing a top view of said form of my invention. Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation showing a first modified form of my invention. Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation of a brake head showing a second modified form of my invention. Fig. 6 is a partial rear elevation showing the said second modified form. Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 77 of Fig. 6. Fig.8 1s a partial side elevation of a brake head showing a third modified form. Fig. 9 is a partial rear-elevation of the same. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a brake head showing a fourth form of my invention. Fig. 11 is a front View of a head illustrating the said fourth form. Fig. 12 is a cross section on line 12-12. of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a partial side elevation of a head showing a fifth form ofmy invention. Fig. 14 is a partial rear'elevation showing the said fifth form. Fig. 15 is the top view of said fifth form. Fig. 16 is a side elevation of a head illustrating a sixth form of theinvention. Fig. 17 is-apartia-l rear elevation of said sixth form. Fig. 18 isa top view of the same.

Referring to the said illustrations in detail, it'will'be understood that 1 represents the compression member of a brake beam upon which ismounted the brake head 2.

The brake shoe 4 is detachably mounted upon the brake head hymea'ns of the brake shoe key 5 which is seated in the slots in the shoe carrying lugs 6 and which passes through a suitable key way in the brake shoe. The hanger 7 is of the accepted U form 'and in operative position is seated in one of the hanger openings 8 in the brake head, and is attached at-its upper end to .a

portion of the truck frame in customary fashion.

The hanger openings 8, being open at their front sides, permit the introduction of the hanger from the front of the brake head before the shoe and shoe key are placed in position. When the key is in position, it traverses the open side of the hanger opening and normally will operate to prevent displacement of the hanger therefrom. It will be seen, however, that when the shoe key is removed, as from the circumstances above mentioned, there is nothing to retain the brake head in position on the hanger.

In order to retain the brake head in posi tion on the hanger, independently of the shoe key, I provide, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a pair of transversely extending retaining members 9 formed with clamping extremities 9 adapted to embrace the legs of the hanger 7. These retaining members are apertured to receive a bolt 10 which, when screwed up causes the retaining' members 9 to firmly clamp the legs of the hanger between them. When properly in position the retaining members extend transversely across the brake head behind a portionthereof, such as the shoe lugs 11. There is sufiicient clearance between the retaining members 9 and back of brake head to permit of the necessary swinging movement of the latter relative to the hanger, but the space between the retaining members and transverse portion of the hanger is not suficient to permit of passage of the projecting portion of the brake head therethrough. Consequently, irrespective of whether or notthe brake shoe key is in position, the brake head can not work off of the hanger, as it will be retained against dislodgment upon contact with the retaining members 9. It is obvious, however, that the brake head may be unslung from the hanger when desired by loosening the bolt 10 and slipping the retaining mem bers upwardly on the hanger until the brake head will clear them.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 1, the rear one of the retaining members 9 is provided with a depending stop portion 12 which projects downwardly behindthebrake head and is adapted to engage the rear face thereof to prevent rearward movement of the brake head relative to the hanger.

In the third form, which is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the; retaining members are in the form of clamping rings 14: adapted to be clamped on to the legs of the hanger and carrying laterally projecting stop members 15 which project transverselv across the rear of the brake head in position to engage the same to prevent undue rearward movement thereof relative to the hanger.

In the fourth form illustrated in Figs. 8

legs thereof being provided with transverse apertures just clear of the rear face of the brake head, which apertures are adapted to receive a retaining member in the form of the bolt or cotter pin 16, which, when properly secured in position, will operate to prevent retraction of the brake head from the hanger in. the manner above described.

In the fifth form illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the retaining members are in the form of clamps 17 adapted to be removably atfixed to the legs of the hanger and provided with seats 18 which are adapted to retain the ends of a yoke member 19. As illustrated, this yoke member may be of U- form and disposed to extend downwardly below the brake beam and embrace the brake head, its ends being secured to the seats 18 by removable attaching means such as the cotters :20, and its legs suitably shaped to accommodate associated parts of the gear.

In Figs. 10 and 11, the brake hanger is shown engaged in the lower one of the hanger openings. It is obvious, however, that due to the adjustable attachment of the clamping member 17 to the hanger, the retaining members may be disposed in the same relationship to'the brake head when the hanger is engaged in the upper hanger opening. This is of course likewise true with respect to the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 to 17 inclusive.

In the sixth form, as illustrated in, Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive, the retaining member is in the form of a yoke 21 provided with clamping rings 22 at its ends by which it may be clamped on to the hanger by means of bolts 2%. The yoke form of the retaining member in this instance permits its being attached to the hanger down near the upper hanger opening, in which position it passes around behind the brake head just above the brake beam. I

, In the form illustrated in Figs. 16, 17 and 18, the retaining member is in the form of a band 25 which encircles the hanger and brake head and clamps the former between its sides. The'front transversely extending portion of thisband is seated in the open siderof the upper hanger opening, in such position as to prevent removal of the hanger therefrom ifit is seated therein, or

to prevent dislodgment of the hanger if it is seated in the lower opening.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my invention contemplates the provision of means which is associated with the hanger and the brake head in such fash ion as to allow a desired amount of relative movement therebetween but to prevent relative movement thereof to .an extent sufficient to permit the disengagement of the head from the hanger. observed that this retaining means is removable by proper intentional manipulation so as to permit the removal of the brake head Furthermore, it is to be from the hanger when desired. It will be seen furthermore that my invention contemplates that this retaining means be of such construction that it may be selectively positioned to accommodate different assembled positions of the hanger and brake head.

My invention, as will be observed from the foregoing, does not require any change in the form of the hanger head or other portions of the gear, but may be employed with hangers and heads. of the kind now in use.

I am aware that my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than those illustrated and described specifically herein, and that the forms herein shown are susceptible of changes and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a brake head and its supporting hanger, a retaining member affixed to the hanger and adjustable thereon independently of the head and adapted to engage the head to retain the head on the hanger.

2.. In combination with a brake head and its supporting hanger, a retaining member affixed to the hanger and movable therewith independently of movement of the head and adapted to prevent removal of the head from the hanger.

3. In combination with a brake head and its supporting hanger, a retaining member supported on the hanger for movement therewith independently of the head, and adapted for engagement with a rear portion of the head.

4.. In combination with a brake head and hanger, a. retaining member movable with the hanger independently of the head and adapted to engage the head to prevent displacement thereof from the hanger.

5. In combination with a pivotally connected brake head and hanger, a retaining member afliXed to the hanger and movable into and out of engagement with the head by relative pivotal movement of the hanger and head for the purpose described.

6. In combination with a brake head and a hanger for pivotally supporting the same, a retaining member removably secured to the hanger and adapted to engage the head upon pivotal movement thereof for the purpose described.

. 7. In combination with abrake head and a hanger upon which the head is supported for free pivotal movement, a retaining member adjustably secured to the hanger and adaptedto engage the head upon relative movement of the head and hanger for the purpose described.

8. In combination with a brake head and a hanger for pivotally supporting the same, a retaining member secured to the hanger and having a portion extending transversely to engage the head, said retaining member being adjustable on the hanger to vary the limits of possible pivotal movement of the head.

9. In combination with a brake head and a hanger for supporting the same, a retaining member vertically adjustable on the hanger and adapted to engage the head for the purpose described.

10. In combination with a brake head and a hanger for supporting the same, a retaining member adjustably mounted on the hanger and adapted to encircle a portion of the head.

11. In combination with a. brake head and a hanger for supporting the same, a retaining member adapted for adjustable clamping engagement with the hanger and movable engagement with the head.

12. In combination with a brake head and a hanger for supporting the same, a retaining member adjustable longitudinally of the head and hanger for engagement with the hanger and head in different positions.

13. In combination with abrake head a hanger for supporting the same and provided with a retaining member adaptedto engage an outer rear surface of the head.

14. In combination with a brakehead, a hanger including a transverse portion for pivotally supporting the head and a retaining member adapted to retain the head against movement on of said transverse portion.

15. In combination with a brake head,.a hanger provided'with a bearing portion for pivotally supporting the head and with other means spaced apart therefrom and adapted to engage the rear of the head to retain it on said bearing portion. V

16. In combination with a brake head provided with a hanger opening open at its front side, a hanger insertible into the said opening through the open side thereof, and means affixed to the hanger to prevent removal thereof from said opening.

17. In combination with abrake head having a forwardly opening hanger slot, a hanger insertible in said slot, and means upon and cooperating with the hanger to clasp aportion of the head.

18. In combination-a brake head provided with an open sided hanger opening, a hanger insertible in said opening, and means carried by the hanger associated with the head hehind said opening for retaining the hanger therein.

19. The combination'of a brake head provided with an open sided hanger opening, a

U-shaped hanger having its transversep0rl tion insertible in said hanger opening, and

means provided on the lateral portions of the hanger to prevent removal of the head therefrom. V

20. The combination of a brake head pro:

Pal

vided with an open sided hanger opening, a hanger engageable with the head by movement into said opening through the open side thereof, and a retaining means carried by the hanger adapted to prevent removal of the head therefrom; said retaining means being movable to permit removal of the head from the hanger.

21. The combination of a brake head provided with an open sided hanger opening, a hanger insertible into said opening through the open side thereof, and means movable with the hanger independently of the head for retaining the hanger against movement out of said opening; said means being manually manipulative to permit removal of said hanger through the open side of the hanger opening.

The combination of a brake head provided with a transverse hanger opening having an open side, a hanger insertible in said opening to pivotally support a head, and means carried by the hanger and eX- tending longitudinally of said opening for preventing the removal of the hanger therefrom.

In a brake, a hanger having a transversely extending portion adapted to pivotally support the head and a second transversely extending portion forming a stop to retain the head against movement oil of the first mentioned transversely extending portion.

24. The combination of a brake head and a brake hanger having a plurality of transversely directed portions cooperating to grasp a portion of the brake head between them to support it in operative position.

25. In a brake, the combination of a head, a key detachably engaging the head, .a hanger on which the head is held by the key, and means carried by the hanger and co operating with the head to retain the latter in operative position upon removal of the he 56. In a brake, the combination of a head formed with a shoe-receiving space and a hanger-receiving space, a hanger insertible into the hanger-receiving space by way of the shoe-receiving space, and means carried by the hanger and adapted to engage the head to prevent removal of the hanger from the hanger-receiving space.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this fourth day of August, 1915.

CHARLES HAINES WILLIAMS.

IVitnesses Enw. T. VVALKER, M. F. HUN'rooN'.

Copies of this patent may be obtained I01 five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0." 

